Sustainability overview

Present stock size is extremely low. Discarding is a serious problem for whiting in this area and nationally, with over 40 million whiting discarded in 2009. Since 2014 almost all of the whiting catch from the Irish Sea is being discarded. ICES continues to advise that there be no catch of whiting from the Irish Sea.

Biology

Whiting is a slender bodied, sandy, blue-green coloured fish with conspicuous white sides and belly, silvery when alive. A member of the gadoid family, the same as cod and haddock, it occurs throughout northeast Atlantic waters at a wide range of depths, from shallow inshore waters to depths of 200m. They mature at an age of 2-3 years and at a length of about 30 cms. The average landed length is usually around 30-40 cms, however whiting can grow up to 70 cm and 3 kg. Whiting breeds between January and July, but mostly in spring. The maximum reported age is 20 years.

Stock information

Stock Area

Irish Sea

Stock information

This stock was benchmarked in January 2017. The result of the benchmark was that the stock was changed from a category 3 stock (trend-based assessment) to a category 1 stock (analytical assessment). The present stock size is extremely low. SSB has been declining since the start of the time-series and has been well below Blim since the mid-1990s. Recruitment has been low since the early 1990s. Large variations in fishing pressure has been estimated in recent years and F has been above Flim for the entire time-series. ICES advises that when the MSY approach is applied, there should be zero catches in each of the years 2018 and 2019. ICES have been advising zero catches for this stock since early 2000.

Management

There are no specific management objectives known to ICES. The majority of whiting caught are discards in the Nephrops fishery and are below the minimum landings size. Despite the introduction of several technical measures to reduce fin fish catch and discards in the Nephrops fishery, the total discards estimates remain high.

Capture Information

There is no remaining targeted whiting fishery in the Irish Sea. Whiting are taken as bycatch (and discarded) within the main Irish Sea fisheries. The majority of whiting caught are discards in the Nephrops fishery and are below the minimum landings size. Despite the introduction of several technical measures to reduce fin fish catch and discards in the Nephrops fishery the total discards estimates remain high. In 2016 almost 98% (99% in 2015) of the whiting catch was discarded, almost entirely (78%) by boats trawling for nephrops. Management measures are required to reduce bycatch and discarding of the species here in order to maximise stock productivity. This could be achieved by effort reduction, spatial and temporal changes or closures in the fishery based on whiting abundance, nursery areas or technical measures in the gear such as escape panels, separator panels, square mesh and variations in mesh size over the net. There is currently an area of the western Irish Sea closed to whitefish fishing, however the effects of this upon the whiting stock are unclear. There is potential damage to the seabed from trawling. The minimum landing size for whiting is 27cm, however fish over this size have been observed to be discarded.

Alternatives

Based on method of production, fish type, and consumer rating:
only fish rated 2 and below are included as an alternative in
the list below. Click on a name to show the sustainable options
available.

Wild capture criterion scoring overview

This system has been developed by the Marine Conservation Society to help consumers choose the most environmentally sustainable fish. For
full details, please see the full wild-capture methodology available here.

Capture method and ecological effects

Score

Impact

0

Very low impact

0.25

Low impact

0.5

Some or moderate impact

0.75

High impact

1

Very high impact or illegal

Where environmental concerns from any one criteria are so great, a ‘critical fail’ may be triggered and the fishery awarded a default red
rating. For full details, please see the full wild-capture methodology available here.

References

What’s a sustainability range?

Many of the fish listed are caught in different ways and from
different areas of the sea. Some species are caught in a variety
of ways and this range shows that, within a species, some may be
fished sustainably whilst others unsustainably.

To find out the individual ratings for each fish click on the
ratings button next to the image.

Fish that are being assessed are shown with a question mark icon and "No Rating".

This system has been developed by the Marine Conservation
Society to help consumers choose the most environmentally
sustainable fish.

To be assessed

Seafood sources indicated as, 'To be assessed', are those that have not yet been assessed and assigned a rating or are undergoing a period
of review. These include sources previously rated by MCS for which the rating has lapsed, due to changes in the market or MCS priorities and
resources. Given that these sources are not fully assessed, the profile should not be used to infer the current sustainability of the
fishery or farmed species.

If you are interested in the sustainability of this seafood source, please let us know by emailing
ratings@mcsuk.org

Rating 1

Rating 1 (light green) is associated with the most
sustainably produced seafood.

This system has been developed by the Marine Conservation
Society to help consumers choose the most environmentally
sustainable fish.

Rating 3

Rating 3 (yellow) based on available information; these
species should probably not be considered sustainable at
this time. Areas requiring improvement in the current
production may be significant. Eat only occasionally and
check www.goodfishguide.org for specific details.

This system has been developed by the Marine Conservation
Society to help consumers choose the most environmentally
sustainable fish.

Rating 4

Rating 4 (orange) should not be considered sustainable, and
the fish is likely to have significant environmental issues
associated with its production. While it may be from a
deteriorating fishery, it may be one which has improved from
a 5 rating, and positive steps are being taken. However, MCS
would not usually recommend choosing this fish.

This system has been developed by the Marine Conservation
Society to help consumers choose the most environmentally
sustainable fish.

Red Improver

'Red improver' ratings are assigned to seafood sources which have been assessed and rated 5 (red) due to significant environmental concerns
with one or more aspects of their management, capture or production, yet credible efforts to improve these issues have been agreed through a
Fisheries or Aquaculture Improvement Project – a FIP or an AIP - and work is underway. Such projects are normally publicly listed at
www.fisheryprogress.org. MCS wants to encourage environmental improvements in fisheries and fish farms, and so does not recommend avoiding
these sources, as we normally do for seafood rated 5 (red rated).

'Best choice' fish are rated 1 and 2, Fish to Avoid are rated 5.

This system has been developed by the Marine Conservation Society to help businesses and consumers choose the most environmentally
sustainable fish.

Rating 5

Rating 5 (red) is associated with fish to be avoided on the
basis that all or most of the criteria for sustainablilty
have not been met.